The University of Virginia recently earned the Bee Campus USA certification from the Xerces Society, thanks to many of the Landscape Services department’s existing practices.
The effort to pursue certification was spearheaded by two UVA Environmental Sciences graduate students, Emily Spindler and Kelsey Schoenemann, who developed Bee Grounds UVA, a working group within the Environmental Stewardship Subcommittee of UVA’s Committee on Sustainability. The designation recognizes the University’s “rigorous commitments to raise awareness and enhance habitat for pollinators,” according to the nonprofit dedicated to invertebrate conservation.
The criteria for the designation included the use of a landscape management plan (which UVA has had in place since 2015), the use of an integrated pest management/plant health care specialist and the existence of many acres of natural area where pollinators can thrive without interference from pesticides and insecticides.
“We have been using the least impactful solutions to the environment in maintaining the University Grounds for several years now which helps the pollinators and ecosystem flourish,” said Landscape Services Supervisor Senior Kevin Beal who assisted with the application for the Bee Campus USA certification.
